Multilevel cell memory architecture

ABSTRACT

A multilevel cell memory may use an architecture in which bits from different words are stored in the same multilevel memory cell. This may improve access time because it is not necessary to sense both cells before the word can be outputted. Therefore, the access time may be improved by removing a serial element from the access chain.

BACKGROUND

[0001] This invention relates generally to memory devices and particularly to memory devices with a multilevel cell architecture.

[0002] A multilevel cell memory is comprised of multilevel cells, each of which is able to store multiple charge states or levels. Each of the charge states is associated with a memory element bit pattern.

[0003] A flash EEPROM memory cell, as well as other types of memory cells, is configurable to store multiple threshold levels (V_(t)). In a memory cell capable of storing two bits per cell, for example, four threshold levels (V_(t)) are used. Consequently, two bits are designated for each threshold level.

[0004] In one embodiment, the multilevel cell may store four charge states. Level 3 maintains a higher charge than level 2, level 2 maintains a higher charge than level 1, and level 1 maintains a higher charge than level 0. A reference voltage may separate the various charge states. For example, a first voltage reference may separate level 3 and level 2, a second voltage reference may separate level 2 from level 1, and a third reference voltage may separate level 1 from level 0.

[0005] A multilevel cell memory is able to store more than one bit of data based upon the number of charge states. For example, a multilevel cell memory that can store four charge states can store two bits of data, a multilevel cell memory that can store eight charge states can store three bits of data, and a multilevel cell that can store sixteen charge states can store four bits of data. For each of the n-bit multilevel cell memories, various memory element bit patterns can be associated with each of the different charge states.

[0006] The number of charge states storable in a multilevel cell, however, is not limited to powers of two. For example, a multilevel cell with three charge states stores 1.5 bits of data. When this multilevel cell is combined with additional decoding logic and coupled to a second similar multilevel cell, three bits of data are provided as the output of the two-cell combination. Various other multi-cell combinations are also possible.

[0007] The retrieval of information from multilevel cell memories is currently slower than the retrieval from single-bit cell memories because the sensing time of multilevel cell memories is greater. This is primarily because sensing more than one bit takes more time than sensing one bit.

[0008] Generally, with conventional multilevel cell designs, a word may consist of a plurality of bits. A first set of two bits of the word may be stored in the same cell(in a 2 bit multilevel cell example) and then the next set of two bits may be stored in the same cell and so on to store the entire word. Then, to access to word, after decoding, both the first and second bits of the cell are sensed. Only when both bits have been sensed is the output accessible. In effect, then, the output must wait for both the first and the second bits to be sensed.

[0009] Thus, there is a need for a way to decrease access times for multilevel cell memories.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010]FIG. 1 is a block depiction of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0011]FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of the memory architecture in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a schematic depiction of the memory architecture in accordance with the prior art;

[0013]FIG. 4 is a flow chart in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0014]FIG. 5 is a flow chart in accordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] Referring to FIG. 1, a processor 100 may be coupled through a bus 102 to a multilevel cell memory 104. The memory 104 contains an interface controller 105, a write state machine 106 and a multilevel cell memory array 150. The processor 100 is coupled by the bus 102 to both the interface controller 105 and the memory array 150 in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] The interface controller 105 provides control over the multilevel cell memory array 150. The write state machine 106 communicates with the interface controller 105 and the memory array 150. The interface controller 105 passes data to be written into the array 150 to the state machine 106 and the state machine 106 executes the sequence of events to write data into the array 150. In one embodiment, the interface controller 105, the write state machine 106 and the multilevel cell memory array 150 are located on a single integrated circuit die.

[0017] Although embodiments are described in conjunction with a memory array 150 storing two bits per cell, any number of bits may be stored in a single cell, for example by increasing the number of threshold levels, without deviating from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Although embodiments of the present invention are described in conjunction with a memory array 150 of flash cells, other cells, such as read only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), conventional electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or dynamic random access memory (DRAM), to mention a few examples, may be substituted without deviating from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, two words 10 and 12 stored in the memory array 150 include a plurality of bits 14 and 16, respectively. In the architecture depicted in FIG. 2, instead of placing adjacent bits within the same word in the same memory cell 18, adjacent bits 14 in the same word 10 or 12 are placed in different multilevel memory cells 18. For example, the bit 14 a for the word 10 is stored with the bit 16 a from the word 12 to form a cell 18 a. Likewise, the other bits 14 of each word 10 or 12 are stored such that each memory cell 18 in the array 150 includes bits 14 from different words 10 or 12.

[0019] While in one embodiment to the present invention, one bit from each of two words is paired with one bit from the other of two words, a variety of other arrangements may be used. By placing bits from the same word in different cells, the access times of the memory array 150 may be improved relative to sensing both words before outputting either word.

[0020] Advantages of some embodiments of the present invention may be better understood by comparing the embodiment of FIG. 2 to a prior art architecture shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the words 20 and 22 have bits 14 and 16 as before. However, in accordance with the conventional approach, adjacent bits 14 or 16 in the same word 10 or 12 (such as the bits 14 a and 14 b) are stored in the same multilevel memory cell (e.g., the cell 20 a).

[0021] As a result, in order to access information from the prior art memory array, it is necessary to first decode and then to successfully sense the first bit, such as the bit 14 a. Next, it is necessary to successfully sense the second bit, such as the bit 14 b, and finally to output the information. The access time for the cell 20 is the combination of the times to decode, to sense both the first and second bits and finally to output the sensed information.

[0022] In contrast with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the access time for the first word is a function of the decode time together with the time to sense the first bit plus the output time. In other words, the access time may be comparable to that of conventional single bit memories. The access time for the second word is a combination of the time to sense the second bit and the output time since no decoding is necessary the second time around.

[0023] Thus, the writing of the information into the array 150 may be controlled by hardware, for example, in the write state machine 106 and microcode stored therein, in one embodiment of the present invention. However, wholly software or wholly hardware based approaches may also be used.

[0024] In one embodiment, the sensing code 122 may initially cause the decoding to occur as indicated in block 24. Next, the first word is sensed as indicated in block 26. The first word is then outputted as indicated in block 28.

[0025] Next, the second word is sensed as indicated in block 30 and the second word is outputted as indicated in block 32. This sequence continues consistently with the architecture shown in FIG. 2.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 5, the access code 122 a in accordance with the prior art initially decodes as indicated in block 24 and then senses the first word as indicated in block 26. Then the prior art approach senses the second word as indicated in block 30 and finally outputs the first and second words as indicated in block 34 after sensing both the first and second words. Clearly the access time to the first word is significantly slower than with the technique illustrated for example in FIG. 4.

[0027] While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: accessing a word from a multilevel cell memory array by accessing only a single bit of each of a plurality of memory cells in said memory array; and after outputting the first word, accessing a second word by sensing a second bit of each of said plurality of memory cells.
 2. The method of claim 1 including storing a bit from two different words in the same multilevel memory cell.
 3. The method of claim 2 including storing a word having n bits in n different multilevel memory cells.
 4. The method of claim 3 including storing all of the bits of two words in multilevel memory cells that store one bit from each word.
 5. The method of claim 1 including accessing a word by decoding, sensing a first word, outputting the first word and thereafter sensing a second word and outputting the second word.
 6. The method of claim 1 including sensing one of at least two bits from each of a plurality of memory cells until an entire word is sensed and then sensing a second bit from each of the same plurality of memory cells.
 7. The method of claim 6 including storing one word in a first group of memory cells and storing the other word as a second bit in the same plurality of memory cells.
 8. The method of claim 1 including sensing a word from a multilevel memory array in substantially the same amount of time as sensing a word from a non-multilevel memory array.
 9. A memory comprising: an array of multilevel memory cells, each of said multilevel memory cells to store at least two bits; and at least one of said memory cells to store a first bit from a first word and a second bit from a second word.
 10. The memory of claim 9 including an interface controller and a write state machine.
 11. The memory of claim 10 wherein said write state machine executes a sequence of events to write data into said memory array such that bits from different words are stored in the same multilevel memory cell.
 12. The memory of claim 9 including a device to write data from two different words in the same memory cell.
 13. A memory comprising: an array of multilevel memory cells including a first set of multilevel memory cells; and a controller to output a first word from the first set and then to access a second word from said first set.
 14. The memory of claim 13 including a write state machine coupled to said array, said write state machine storing microcode to cause data from two different words to be written into the same multilevel memory cell.
 15. The memory of claim 13 wherein said memory is a flash memory.
 16. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor to: output a word from a multilevel memory array by accessing a first bit of each of a plurality of memory cells in the memory array; and after outputting the first word, access a second word by sensing a second bit in each of said plurality of memory cells.
 17. The article of claim 16 storing instructions that enable the processor to store a bit from each of two different words in the same multilevel memory cell.
 18. The article of claim 16 further storing instructions that enable the processor to store a word having n bits in n different multilevel memory cells.
 19. The article of claim 18 further storing instructions that enable the processor to store all the bits of two words in multilevel memory cells that store at least one bit from each word.
 20. The article of claim 16 further storing instructions that enable the processor to sense a first word, output the first word, and thereafter sense a second word and output the second word. 